Running makes you smarter – here’s how

Running makes you smarter – here’s how

"As far back as the Greeks and Romans, humans have documented the belief that there is a strong link between exercise and intelligence. But in the last two decades, neuroscience has begun to catch up with Thales and Juvenal’s idea that a sound mind flourishes in a healthy body. While the studies unite in telling us that running will makes us smarter, it is only partly true. The process is more complicated and reveals more about the wonderful complexities of both the human body and its evolution. Although the science might be helping us to understand how the mechanisms work, an important question remains: why does running make us smarter?"

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Why do you feel like you’re falling when you go to sleep?

Why do you feel like you’re falling when you go to sleep?

"It should be one of the most relaxing times of the day. You climb into bed, get comfortable and cosy, start to feel your brain slowing down … and then suddenly you experience a shocking falling sensation. It’s like you misjudged the number of stairs you were walking down, leaving your leg in mid air for just a bit longer than you expected. Not pleasant."

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Scienceploitation: How social media can distort and misinform when communicating science

Scienceploitation: How social media can distort and misinform when communicating science

"Scienceploitation is embodied in especially egregious “click-bait” headlines. Think the Huffington Post erroneously equating a glass of red wine to an hour at the gym, or the viral hoax study that linked eating chocolate with losing weight."

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One Book That Will Change The Way You Think

One Book That Will Change The Way You Think

If you are a fan of Malcolm Gladwell, I highly reccomend the book Mindware Richard Nisbett presents a number of scientific and philosophical ideas in a clear and accessible way. I highly recommend this book.

This one book that will improve your critical thinking skills, the author provides insights into a number of concepts including:
• cost-benefit analysis
• sunk-cost
• causation and correlation

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Health Check: are growing pains real?

Health Check: are growing pains real?

"There is no single diagnostic test for growing pains. As a result, it continues to be diagnosed more by exclusion than inclusion of symptoms. Namely: intermittent (non-persistent) aches of muscles (not joints) in both legs presenting later in the day or evening (disappearing by morning) in an otherwise healthy child generally between the age of three and 12 years. There are usually no abnormal findings on physical exam, imaging and lab investigations."

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